Women's Health Medicine
Volume 3, Issue 1 , Pages 31-33, January 2006

Surgery for breast cancer

Helen M Sweetland FRCS is a Consultant Breast Surgeon and Reader in Surgery at University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK. She qualified from Sheffield University and trained in general and breast surgery in Sheffield.

Article Outline

Abstract 

Despite exciting advances in drug treatment, surgery remains the mainstay of breast cancer treatment. Diagnostic techniques have improved so that patients have a diagnosis of cancer before surgery is undertaken, so that they are able to discuss it in an informed manner. There has been an increasing trend towards breast conservation treatment as patients are diagnosed with early breast cancers. Mastectomy, however, is still needed in a number of cases. There have recently been significant developments in the assessment of the axilla with the development of the sentinel node technique. This is a useful diagnostic procedure to avoid the side effects of axillary clearance, but axillary node clearance is still the best treatment for pathological lymph nodes.

Keywords:  breast disorders , axillary clearance , breast conservation , mastectomy , sentinel node biopsy

No full text is available. To read the body of this article, please view the PDF online.

 

Back to Article Outline

REFERENCES 

  1. Veronesi U , Banfi A , Salavador B , et al.   Breast conservation is the treatment of choice in small breast cancer: long-term results of a randomized trial . Eur J Cancer . 1990;26:668–670
  2. Fisher B , Anderson S , Redmond CK , et al.   Reanalysis and results after 12 years of follow-up in a randomized clinical trial comparing total mastectomy with lumpetcomty with or without irradiation in the treatment of breast cancer . N Engl J Med . 1995;333:1456–1461
  3. Veronesi U , Volterrani F , Luini A , et al.   Quadrantectomy versus lumpectomy for small size breast cancer . Eur J Cancer . 1990;26:671–673
  4. Fisher B , Anderson S , Bryant J , et al.   Twenty-year follow-up of a randomized trial comparing total mastectomy, lumpectomy and lumpectomy plus irradiation for the treatment of invasive breast cancer . N Engl J Med . 2002;347:1233–1241
  5. Chetty V , Jack W , Prescott RJ , et al.   Management of the axilla in operable breast cancer treated by breast conservation: a randomized clinical trial . Br J Surg . 2000;87:163–169
  6. Mansel RE , Goyal A , Fallowfield L , et al.   Sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer: the first results of the randomized multicenter ALMANAC Trial . J Clin Oncol . 2004;22(145 Suppl):506

PII: S1744-1870(06)00122-3

doi:10.1383/wohm.2006.3.1.31

Women's Health Medicine
Volume 3, Issue 1 , Pages 31-33, January 2006

Article Tools